A great starter setup for making great coffee at home using a coffee machine and coffee grinder.
Coffee Maker Setup at Home
Making great coffee at home can be easy with just a couple of essentials. I did the research for you so you don’t have to.
- For first time or beginner at home coffee setup for under $200.
- Reasonably priced, researched, and tested coffee equipment.
- Step-by-step with photos on how to make great coffee every morning.
RELATED: Cold Brew Coffee Made Easy
What You’ll Need
- Coffee maker
- Burr coffee grinder
This is a fantastic entry-level burr grinder. - Coffee filters
- Filtered water
- Coffee beans
- Optional: half & half or milk and sugar
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Grind coffee.
Using a coffee grinder, set it to automatic brewer/drip coffee.
(On the Barataza Encore coffee grinder, set it to #18.)
For every cup of coffee (8 oz.), use 1.5 – 2 tablespoons of coffee.
STEP 2: Line coffee maker cone basket with coffee filter.
Make sure to fold the edges of the filter first. Fold the edge at the bottom then the side.
Folding it flattens the bottom, makes it stronger so the filter doesn’t fall apart, and helps it to fit nicely inside the cone basket.
Open the top and place the filter inside the coffee maker basket.
NOTE: An optional extra step is to wet the coffee filter with hot water before putting in the ground coffee to take away any taste from the filter. I’m lazy so I do not do this.
STEP 3: Put ground coffee into lined filter basket.
There is a trick with the Barataza Encore coffee grinder so that it doesn’t make a mess when you take out the ground coffee. Lightly tap each side of the grinder a couple of times before taking out the coffee bin.
STEP 4: Pour water into the coffee maker and brew.
If you’re using the Zojirushi ZUTTO coffee maker (the one shown), use the measuring spoon included with the machine to measure out one spoon for every measurement on the water line. So to make 2 cups of coffee, fill water tank to the number “2” and put in 2 measuring spoons of coffee.
The coffee industry considers 6 oz. of water to be a cup of coffee. Zojirushi, a Japanese company, measures 4.8 oz. as a cup of coffee. (Yup, confusing since it’s not the same everywhere.)
This means that when you fill the water tank to number “1” you’re not making a full cup but about 1/2 cup.
So, the 5-cup coffee maker makes about 2.5 cups of coffee, not 5.
To make 1 cup of coffee, I use 1.5 tablespoons of coffee beans and fill water halfway between water indicator lines “1” and “2.”
It takes about 4 minutes to brew.
STEP 5: Pour hot coffee into a mug.
I like to add a little brown sugar to my coffee.
You can add a little milk or half & half to make it light and creamy.
Expert Tips
- If there’s anything you should spend money on, it’s a coffee grinder. Get the best burr grinder you can afford.
- Avoid getting coffee beans in bulk. It’s better to buy in smaller batches especially if you’re just drinking 1-2 cups a day.
- The better the water, the better the cup of coffee. Use filtered water if possible.
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of coffee for every cup of water (8 oz.).
Questions You May Have
Everything from the coffee maker, the grinder, the coffee filters, filtered water, and coffee, it should cost less than $200.
If you buy pre-ground coffee, you don’t need a grinder but buying whole coffee beans and grinding it yourself results in a better tasting cup.
Yes, but I find the coffee maker the easiest to use and makes the same tasting cup of coffee every time.
Related
Making Coffee Using A Coffee Maker
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup water filtered
- 1 ½ tablespoons coffee beans
- milk or half & half and sugar optional to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grind coffee.Using a coffee grinder, set it to automatic brewer/drip coffee. (On the Barataza Encore coffee grinder, set it to #18.)
- Line coffee maker cone basket with coffee filter.Fold the edges of the filter — bottom then the side. Folding it flattens the bottom, making it stronger so the filter doesn't fall apart, and helps it to fit nicely inside the cone basket. Open the top and place the filter inside the coffee maker basket.NOTE: An optional extra step is to wet the coffee filter with hot water before putting in the ground coffee to take away any taste from the filter.
- Put ground coffee into lined filter basket.
- Pour water into the coffee maker and brew.
- Pour hot coffee into a mug.Add sugar and milk or half & half to make it sweet and creamy if you prefer.
NOTES
- There is a trick with the Barataza Encore coffee grinder so that it doesn’t make a mess when you take out the ground coffee. Lightly tap each side of the grinder a couple of times before taking out the coffee bin.
- I use the Zojirushi 5-cup coffee maker and it’s a little deceiving when they say it’s a 5-cup brewer when they consider each cup a little over 1/2 cup (5 oz.). So, the 5-cup coffee maker makes about 2.5 cups of coffee, not 5. To make 1 cup of coffee, I use 2 tablespoons of coffee beans and {ll water between water indicator “1” and “2.”